The use of security cameras within security systems is generally known. Security cameras within such systems are typically located adjacent to and used to monitor points of entry of a secured area. Typically the security cameras are connected to a monitor used by a security guard located at a central monitoring station.
In automated systems, the output of a video camera may be processed by a video processor that processes a sequence of images to detect movement in the sequence. By detecting motion in the sequence of images, the video processor may be able to detect intruders without human involvement.
In addition to detecting movement, the output of video cameras is typically recorded in a memory device (e.g., a hard disk or removable flash media). The recording of such images is an important aspect of automated detection systems because the images can be used to later identify an intruder in the event that police arrive too late to arrest the intruder.
However, the automation of intrusion detection is often subject to false alarms. For example, the moving object detected by the video processor may be an animal or a curtain moved by the wind.
Security cameras have typically not gained much use in home monitoring systems. Part of the reason for this is that the connection between most homes and central monitoring stations is not fast enough to efficiently transfer video images. Another reason arises from concerns over privacy. Because of the importance of security systems, a need exists for better ways of using video monitoring in a home setting.